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Learn more about what employers can do to best support expat workers and their families.

Moving to another country, whether on assignment or independently, can be incredibly rewarding.

Such a move offers the opportunity to experience a different culture, a new city, new people and an alternative working environment.

However, international assignments present a unique set of challenges for the health and well-being of an expatriate and their family, who must cope with the emotional stresses associated with moving overseas.

When 43-year-old Aurélie, a financial services employee, relocated from France to Singapore with her two young daughters, things went well at first.

"The girls were settling in their new school and I felt like I was adjusting to my new role,” she recalls.

However, just two months into her assignment Aurélie learned that her mother had a serious illness, and she began to doubt her decision to move to Singapore.

"I felt guilty about not being there for my mother and father, and that my daughters were not able to spend time with them,” she explains.

“I became increasingly unhappy, feeling isolated from my family and vulnerable.”

Lack of support network

While an ill parent may have triggered Aurélie’s predicament, the difficulty of dealing with any number of challenging situations can be amplified for people working abroad, threatening the success of their overseas assignment.

One of the main stresses for many expatriates is the lack of a support network during a time in their lives when they often need more support than ever.

Indeed, many of the most common difficulties experienced by expatriates stem from simply adapting to new social and cultural environments while at the same time trying to balance taking care of themselves, their families, and work responsibilities.

Some expatriates can be overwhelmed by the stress of living and working overseas, even without the added complication of a family illness or other difficult situation.

Altogether, these difficulties can leave expatriates and their families more susceptible to mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, affecting the employee’s well-being and possibly the success of their assignment.

Left unchecked, these stresses can result in assignment failure and premature repatriation, leading to further upheaval that can affect employees’ professional confidence and self-esteem, and even result in dissatisfaction upon returning to work in their home country.

With so much at stake, employers must consider how they can support their globally mobile employees and manage the risks associated with international assignments from the outset.

Implementing a comprehensive healthcare strategy that protects both the physical and mental well-being of employees can be a first step in helping to mitigate these risks.

Employee Assistance Programmes

Global assistance and wellness programmes help expatriates take positive steps to improve their physical and mental well-being, reducing the impact of stress, poor health and lifestyle choices while living and working overseas.

Soon thereafter she was put in touch with a counsellor who helped her come to terms with her feelings and helped her cope more effectively, ultimately saving her and her company from a messy premature repatriation.